Staff

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With a background in music and theatre, Miss Joanna brings our K5 classroom to life with music and song!  Students learn weekly Bible verses through daily practice with music and hand motions. Miss Joanna is an incredible phonics teacher and is passionate about helping children learn to love reading.  She has one son Elijah and lives in Opelika.  

Lauren Dowdell is from Hatchechubbee, AL. She graduated from Lee-Scott Academy and then attended Auburn University where she received her B.S. in Elementary Education. She has since received additional training and development in the Science of Reading. She has taught kindergarten in Opelika City and first grade in Lee County. 

Lauren currently lives in Society Hill with her husband, James, and she is a lifelong member of Society Hill Methodist Church. She enjoys reading, walking her dog, crafting, and spending time with friends and family. She is so excited to learn and grow with her students both academically and spiritually at The Oaks!

Ashley Jeffares is from Reeltown, AL, She received her B.S. in K-6 Elementary and Collaborative Education and Masters in K-6 Elementary Education from Troy University. Ashley taught with Lee County Schools for 11 years, teaching all subjects in 3rd grade. She has been with The Oaks since its start in 2018. Her daughters, Kelsi, Klaira, and Kendall also love being a part of The Oaks family. Ashley enjoys reading, going to the lake or the beach, and all things craft related!  

Kellie Heidt is the third/fourth grade teacher for the 2025-26 school year. Kellie was a middle school and high school teacher for The Oaks since 2019 and then served as Academic Advisor. She has a Master’s in Education in Curriculum and Instruction and English. 

She is a reading specialist and a certified Barton Dyslexia tutor, a certified dyscalculia tutor through Educalc, a certified Kids’ Life Coach through Adventures in Wisdom, and a certified Homeschool Coach. 

She owns her own business, Take Flight Tutoring and Coaching LLC, where she offers coaching and tutoring for dyslexia, dyscalculia, executive functioning/organizing skills, study skills/college prep, homeschooling consultation, and positive mindset skills development such as self-esteem, confidence, and self-talk in one-on-one coaching sessions and workshops. 

She is a proud military wife of 25 years as her husband, Dan, retired from the US Navy in 2018. She has two grown children, William and Caroline, who make her proud every day, and her fur baby, Hadrian, a 7 lb. Chiweenie, who rules the house.     

Jessica Keyes is a native of Reeltown, AL. She attended CACC and Troy University where she studied Finance. She has is also the author of four faith based illustrated books for children.  

With a lifelong love of gardening, Jessica specializes in growing heirloom cut flowers. She is inspired by the work of Charlotte Mason and strives to bring those core values into her classroom. She and her husband Kevin live in Liberty City with their boys, Beau and Baylor. 

Originally from Missouri where she married her husband, Paul, 39 years ago and raised two children, they uprooted and moved to Alabama in 2011. Kasey graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a B.S. in education and received her Master's degree from William Woods University. She has worked with students in many facets over the years including personal aide for the hearing impaired, school librarian, as well as a classroom teacher. She loves encouraging young people in their journey to seek the Lord and follow their purpose. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends and especially her five grandchildren. Kasey is very excited to be at The Oaks.

Amanda is originally from Beauregard and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Auburn University. She and her husband moved to Warner Robins, GA, where she taught public school for 3 years. There, she earned her Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Walden University. She and her family moved back to Auburn 11 years ago. She has homeschooled her 4 daughters for 4 years and is excited to be at The Oaks! 

Addie Hill is from Jasper, AL where she graduated from Walker High School in 1997.  She attended Auburn University and graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in secondary education, English and Spanish in 2001. She taught Language Arts at Drake Middle School from 2002 to 2011.  Addie and her husband, Brandon, have been married for twenty years and have three amazing children, Holden, Scarlett and Wylder. She enjoys running, oil painting, and reading. She looks forward to exploring, learning, and growing in Christ with your children!  She recently completed her 5th year of teaching at The Oaks and has been a true pioneer of our language arts program.  

Angela Reinhardt is from Southern California. She studied Communication with an emphasis on Journalism for four years at Cal Poly Pomona University and AUM. She also attended college at The University of the Nations for three years, where she intricately studied the Bible, as well as trained as a missionary. Through her missions work, she has called places like England, Egypt and Hawaii, home. Angela has been married for 17 years and has four children who attend The Oaks. She homeschooled her children for five years and has a passion for history and traveling. Currently, she is finishing a degree at Troy University, with a major in History and a minor in English. 

Married to the lovely Latoya Thomas w/ 2 girls and 2 boys. Coach Everett graduated from Auburn University in May 2003 with a BS (Exercise Science/Kinesiology). He was on the scout team under Coach Joe Champi, Auburn University Women’s Basketball Team from 2001-2002.  He was a teacher for 10 years, with coaching duties in Basketball, Soccer, and Football, and won a State Title in soccer 2009 at Lyman Ward Military Academy.  He won 4A area and reached final 4, 2 years straight and championship game as Head Basketball coach. He also was the Athletic Director at Lyman Ward Millitary Academy for 4 years. Started an athletic company called DSAA (District Silverbackz Athletic Association) that houses basketball training (SST), adult basketball, and 7 AAU basketball teams that competed at ESPN Center @ Walt Disney Resorts 2019.

Coach Everett will also be coaching Girl's Volleyball & Girl's Basketball.

David was born and raised in Auburn, AL. He received his Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Auburn University. He received his Masters degree in Business Administration from AUM. David has owned and operated his own insurance business in the Auburn/Opelika area since 2001. David has a passion for youth sports and has coached basketball and baseball for the past 8 years in school, travel, and parks & recreation sports. 

David and his wife Jessica currently reside in Auburn with their two sons, Noah and Jonah who both attend The Oaks School. 

Ginger Hallmark  graduated from Auburn University with a BS and MS in Agricultural Economics with a focus on Economic Development. Ginger worked for five years as a grant writer for local governments. In 2011, she started Discovery Christian School, a homeschool cover school that is now serving over 250 families in the Auburn-Opelika area.  In 2018, she helped launch The Oaks School.  Ginger is passionate about creating a school culture where students feel loved and cared for, while being challenged to excel in their God-given strengths.

Ginger and her husband, Josh, also own a real estate company in Florida. She has four children who also attend The Oaks School.

Josh, from Boaz, AL has lived in the Auburn area for almost 30 years and has spent most of his adult life in organizational leadership. He graduated from Auburn University in Ag Economics where he met his wife, Ginger. In 2000 he completed Youth With a Mission's (YWAM) Discipleship Training School in Tyler, Texas where he was deeply impacted by God's love. 

He and his wife Ginger spent 14 years leading Chi Alpha, a university ministry at Auburn, and more than 10 years pastoring Campus Church and The Oaks Church. The Hallmarks have 4 children and have journeyed together in numerous other training, ministry and business ventures in their 23 years of marriage. They have truly partnered in life, ministry, business and now in education.

Josh is a lifelong learner and loves to pioneer new territory. He and Ginger started The Oaks School in 2018 to educate and empower tomorrow’s leaders in the marketplace and beyond. They are also real estate investors and own a real estate and vacation rental business on the Emerald Coast of Florida. 

One of Josh's favorite quotes is from Edwin Louis Cole: "Maturity does not come with age, but with the acceptance of responsibility."